Ron and Hermione and the Deathly Hallows
by Lyla Ride
Summary: Haven't you always felt that there was some untold Ron and Hermione story in the Deathly Hallows? Well here are some of the scenes from the Deathly Hallows retold. Rated T, but not too bad on content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I love the whole Ron/Hermione canon (yes, I am on both that ship, and the Harry/Hermione one too), but I always felt like during the 7th book, there was kind of an untold story there. So here it is, in their POV. It is kinda short, but very sweet and leads perfectly into other chapters. There will also be flashbacks to previous untold stories within the books. Like Ron and Hermione's actual first kiss (hint, hint!). R&R!**

**Disclaimer: If JK Rowling owned the world, her books would top the bestsellers list, the opening premieres of the movies would set box office records and her characters would be household names. Oh, wait...**

Ron stared at Hermione over the planning table. Hermione, feeling someone's gaze on her, looked up and caught Ron's eye. He blushed and smiled at her and she smiled back, shaking her head. Ginny saw this exchange and grinned to herself before elbowing Hermione so that she would pay attention. This meeting was important.

"So we all know our locations, correct?" said Mad Eye Moody, glancing around the table, with his whizzing fake eye, his real one resting on the plans in front of them. "And we will fly with our partners over to pick up Harry." Here Ron interrupted.

"Um, Mad Eye, could Hermione ride with me. She isn't really a fan of flying and she might be more, um, comfortable with me."

"Fine, but don't spend the whole time snogging your girlfriend. We have a mission to do!" Mad Eye looked gruffly between the pair, both of whom had turned red.

"We're not dating," stated Hermione, blushing further.

Mad Eye grunted in amusement, as did Fred and George, while Ginny snorted in response. Hermione glanced knowingly at Ginny while Ron glared at the twins. Fred looked abashed.

"What, were we not supposed to know?" he asked.

"Yeah," said George, "it's not like you two hide it very well. Only Harry doesn't know, but that's only because he hasn't been around you two for more than a day this summer."

"Actually," said Ginny, "I'm pretty sure he suspects something." She smiled knowingly, glancing between her brother and her best friend. Hermione felt her face go hot again, and started memorizing the knots in the wooden table.

"If we are done with our lovers quarrels?" asked Moody, stumping over to the door, "Molly and Ginerva will stay here. If you run into trouble, send a patronous. Let's mount up!" Mad Eye went to a broom, dragging Mundungus Fletcher with him. Bill and Fleur went on a thestral, as did Remus and Tonks. Fred and Mr. Weasley, and George and Kinsley each took a broom while Hagrid went astride Sirius' motorbike. This left Ron and Hermione on a broom. They took off last.

After waving to Ginny's red-haired speck, Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione and placed his hands in front of her on Hermione's hands, which were on the broom handle. Hermione's hands were trembling underneath his. She lacked confidence on a broom. She leaned back against Ron and closed her eyes until she felt Ron whispering in her ear.

"You ok?"

"Yes Ronald, I am scared of heights and over 500 feet in the air, but I am perfectly blissful." She leaned forward away from him.

"Well fine, if that's how you feel." Ron then rolled the broom over in the air as Hermione screamed bloody murder. When they were back up, Hermione was clinging to Ron, quivering, both arms around his neck. His arms were holding her in place though. He laughed gently until he saw the tears running down her cheeks.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry! I didn't know it would scare you that bad- OW!"

Hermione had started hitting him wherever she could reach while still leaving one hand around his neck. For every word she spoke, she emphasized it with her fist.

Don't – do – that – to – me – again – Ronald – Weasley!!" Ron gripped the broom tightly with his legs and removed his hands to hold Hermione's wrists.

"Hermione. Hermione! Stop it! You've made your point! Quit hitting me or I'll stop steering the broom!" This made Hermione tense up at once, but at least she stopped hitting him. She started shaking again, but whether from fear or anger, Ron wasn't sure.

"Good, now, I'm sorry for rolling the broom, ok? Calm down and turn around again or everyone will think that we are actually together." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before helping her turn around into the position they had originally started in. Hermione leaned against Ron again.

"Ron?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he answered.

"Why does everyone assume that we are together?"

Ron paused to think about it for a second. "Maybe because we spend just about every waking moment together. Maybe because Harry and Ginny are the assumed couple, so that leaves us two. Maybe because I like you Hermione, as more than a friend."

Hermione turned her head around to look at Ron, whose ears had gone scarlet.

"Wha-?"

"We're here!" Mad Eye Moody shouted from the front of the formation, dipping his broom down towards the ground, followed by the thestrals, then the motorbike and finally, the rest of the brooms.

When they landed, Harry was already opening the door and Hermione ran to him and gave him a big hug, while Ron hurried behind her and clapped him on the back. They were all lead inside, but Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him back for a second to give him a kiss on the cheek, then hurried inside after the others.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is what is going on in Hermione's head after she gets back to the Burrow. Nice and short but I make up for it in the next chapter (which is AWESOME!), plus there are some cute little Romione convos. Keep R-ing & R-ing!**

After the air attack

Hermione landed in the Burrow's yard, Kingsley by her side. She felt the Polyjuice Potion wearing off as her hair started to grow out, while she shrank back to her normal height. Harry and Lupin hurried out to the backyard. Hermione flung herself into Harry's arms and heard Kingsley interrogating Lupin behind them.

"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?"

"'Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him.'"

Hermione and Harry separated and Kingsley turned his wand on Harry before Lupin could disclaim that it was the actual Harry.

"All right, all right!" said Kingsley. "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"

Lupin replied while Hermione listened avidly. "So it seems, but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harrys."

"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"

Lupin's face dropped as he replied. "Only Harry, Hagrid, George and me."

Hermione stifled a moan, the next part of the conversation lost to her. Where was Ron? He had promised her yesterday that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to him and the he just told her he liked her. Ron liked her! But now she might not see him. Then she heard Lupin mention Stan Shunpike.

"Stan?" she asked. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"

Kingsley laughed in a strained kind of way.

"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Traver's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"

"He lost an ear."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Lost an --?" she managed to squeak out.

"Snape's work," replied Lupin.

"_Snape?_" Harry shouted. Obviously this was new information for him. "You didn't say-"

"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."

Hermione paid no one else any mind after that. Harry left to go inside, replaced by Hagrid. Kingsley and Lupin were standing off to the side discussing the possibilities, when Fred and Mr. Weasley materialized above the ground. Hermione yelped as they landed feet from her. Lupin and Kingsley hurried over to them and gave them the news. When they heard that George had lost an ear, both tried to push past Kingsley, who was trying to make sure they were who they really were. Hermione heard Mr. Weasley's shouts from the Burrow as Kingsley held him up once again. Then, it was back to the stars. Kingsley soon returned and started pacing back and forth. Hagrid and Lupin came to stand on either side of Hermione. She heard leaves crunch and saw that Ginny and Harry had joined the vigil out of the corner of her eye. They were holding hands. That reminded her of Ron even more, like when he had grabbed her hand last week while the family was sitting around listening to the radio and watching the wedding planning process. She felt her eyes sting with tears.

And finally a broom appeared out of thin air above them and streaked for the ground. Hermione's heart leapt out of her chest as she screamed "It's them!"

Ron and Tonks scrambled off the broom and into waiting arms. Ron smiled brightly as he saw Hermione, well and whole.

"You're okay," he mumbled, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Never do that to me again," she whispered only to him before speaking up "I thought – I thought - "

" 'M all right," said Ron, patting Hermione on the back, " 'M fine."

"Ron was great," said Tonks from over by Remus. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom – "

"You did?" asked Hermione, keeping her arms around Ron's neck. She didn't want to let go of him any time soon.

"Always the tone of surprise," he said, breaking free, but Hermione grabbed his hand. In the darkness, no one but them noticed. They started their own conversation while the others kept talking about what happened to Ron and Tonks. Hermione stood on her tip toes to whisper in Ron's ear.

"You scared me so bad, you know? I thought I was never going to see you again. Tell you how I feel." Tears started leaking out of her eyes again, and she quickly backed off to wipe them away. Ron came close though.

"How do you feel, Hermione?"

"So what happened to you lot?" asked Tonks, bringing Ron and Hermione back to the rest of the group. Hermione whispered into Ron's ear again before recounting her tale to Tonks.

"Meet me in the garden at midnight, ok?"

**A/N: Oo, cliffhanger. Well, a kind of predictable cliffhanger R&R!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I LOVE this chapter. Like with a passion. Please R&R. Prettyprettyprettyprettypretty Please!!!!!**

Secrets of the Garden

Ron sat on the only bench in his family's garden. It was small, but well managed and brimming with beautiful plants. Ron had picked a rose from one of the bushes and was now twirling it between his fingers. Then he heard the crunch of footsteps on the pebble walkway.

Hermione appeared around the corner of the garden, looking anxious. She wore a nightgown of white cotton and she had let her hair down out of its plait. Over the years it had become less bushy and the curls in her hair had become more defined. Now it hung in ringlets below her shoulders, shining with a silver glow in the moonlight. It was only a sliver tonight, but it still sparkled. When her eyes finally found Ron on the bench, her face broke into a smile and she hurried down the path. Ron stood up and hugged her close. He would never grow tired of her hugs, especially now, when they might be numbered. He inhaled her scent before releasing her. She smelled like flowers and that new book smell that you get when you first crack their spine open. They sat down on the bench and Ron looked into her eyes for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. But she beat him to the punch.

"I like you, Ron, as more than a friend. But if we are going to be helping Harry, I just don't see us getting together anytime soon."

Ron's face fell. She didn't want to get together now? But if not now, when? Didn't she know that there was a war going on?

"But," stammered Ron, trying to string two thought together, "you like me. Isn't that enough? Can't we make something of that?"

"Well," said Hermione, staring down at her hands in her lap now, "I just don't want to be distracted while finding the Horcruxes. Harry needs us, Ron, probably more than any of us knows now. And if we are together, then I think that could distract from the mission. What if we get in a fight? That would create more tension than necessary on this trip and that is just unacceptable."

Ron understood now, but he still just wanted one thing.

"Ok," said Ron, consenting to his girl, "but just give me one thing. Remember that night last year?"

FLASHBACK!

_Ron and Hermione were in Gryffindor Common Room. Gryffindor had just won the House Cup and they were both a little hung up on butterbeer and everyone else had gone to bed. Harry and Ginny still hadn't returned from wherever they went and Ron was starting to get worried._

"_I should go look for them," said Ron, slurring his words slightly, "I mean, it's Harry, and I trust him with my life, but not with my little sister's virtue. I've seen the way he looks at her. What do think, 'Mione?"_

"_I think," said Hermione, watching the room spin as she sat up to make her point, "that you should leave them alone. The have both wanted this for a long time."_

"_No," decided Ron, standing up and swaying tipsily, "I am going to go looking for them!" _

"_No, Ronald, don't!" cried Hermione, grabbing onto the back of his Gryffindor jersey. He was wearing that and jeans while Hermione wore a Gryffindor t-shirt and jeans. When she grabbed onto the back of his jersey, Ron lost his already limited balance and fell onto his back, taking Hermione with him. She landed next to him and they both started giggling uncontrollably. After a while, they stopped and found that Ron had taken Hermione's hand and Hermione had pressed herself sideways against Ron. Ron turned to face the pretty girl next to him._

"_Hermione," he murmured before closing the minimal gap between them and pressing his lips to hers. There was a passion behind the kiss from both sides and Hermione ended up on top of Ron before either of them realized what was going on. Their lips parted and they deepened the kiss, heads tilted, eyes closed. Then Ron realized where they were and broke apart._

"_C'mon," he said, holding out his hand and staggering to his feet. Hermione took it and followed him out of the portrait and into a room on the seventh floor. It was small, with a cheerful fireplace and a few bottles of butterbeer on a table in the corner. Hermione looked surprised._

"_The Room of Requirement?" she asked, nervously, "Why did we leave the common room?"_

"_Because," said Ron, kicking off his shoes and going to pour them two glasses of butterbeer, "the common room is way to public to share a moment like that." He brought the glasses over and they both drained theirs. Then, they set the glasses down on the table and started kissing again. Hermione was on Ron's lap this time and his arms were around her waist, holding her to him. She knotted her hands in his hair before she realized something_

This is Ron_, she thought, still kissing him,_ one of my best friends. How is this going to affect our friendship?

_Hermione broke off the kiss, to a startled Ron's dismay. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and one of his hands was now in her hair too._

"_Sorry," she whispered, getting off of him, "drunken accident."_

_And with that, Hermione left the room, tears already pooling in her eyes_

FLASHFORWARD!

Hermione remembered. Oh Merlin, did she remember. She had pictured a hundred different scenarios for how that could have gone better. That was probably not one of Ron's happier memories, but he was smiling now. Hermione saw a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Yes," said Hermione, unsure, "why?"

"Because," said Ron, "I know that you are sober this time, so maybe you won't feel as bad if I do this." And he leaned in and pecked her lips, softly, and then pulled back.

"Or maybe this?" he added kissing her a little longer this time.

"But I like this one best." And he was kissing her like he had that night. There was passion there, like fire in their veins. Their mouths opened and their tongues met in the middle, synchronizing in the beat of the blood pounding through their bodies. Hermione got even closer, pressing herself against Ron and his arms snaked around her waist, climbing up to her hair and around her neck. Her hands were locked around his neck, and she wanted to stay there for forever. People say when you find the one you are meant to be with, you will know it by how you feel when you kiss them. Ron and Hermione knew then that they would be together always.

Ron broke the kiss this time.

"Ok," he said, pulling Hermione up against him, "even if we can't be together, can we still do that when no one else is around?"

"I can see that working," murmured Hermione, kissing him again. Hermione felt renewed energy in Ron and, what seemed like minutes later, the sun decided to rise on a new day and Ron led Hermione back to the Burrow and to her room where he kissed her once more before she went to bed to dream about Ron until she could see him again.

**A/N: So, did you guys like the flashback scene? I'm not sure whether that would qualify as before Ron/Lavender or after. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So this chapter isn't very long, but I'll make up for it with a flashback in the next chapter. That one will be from fourth year. Is it about the ball? Viktor? The Tri-Wizard Tournament? Harry? Who knows? Well, I do and it isn't a scene from GoF, trust me.**

The in-between time

Mad-Eye's death affected each person differently. Some outwardly become depressed, some became quiet and reserved, some threw themselves into their work, and some worked on keeping his spirit alive. Ron and Hermione were some of the only ones who put on a brave front, partially because they had each other to lean upon now. Each night they would meet in the garden. And while everyone noticed the circles growing darker under their eyes, everyone saw that they were also happy and full of life each morning, as if the lack of sleep didn't bother them. Only Harry, the person closest to the both of them, guessed what was going on. He decided to confront Hermione one day while they were pruning the bushes for the Delacours's stay during the wedding.

"So what is going on with you and Ron?" he asked, clipping away a big branch.

"What?" asked Hermione, blushing and trying to look incredulous, "there is nothing going on between me and Ron. We don't like each other that way."

"I never said you did, I was just asking what you two are talking about when you are huddled up in the corner whispering together. Or alone in Ron's room together. Or walking through town alone together." Harry smiled, though, because Hermione's quick cover up told him all he needed to know. His friends were finally going to get together. Better now than never, he supposed. Hermione continued to blush, though as they finished pruning.

As soon as they were done, she bolted off to find Ron. He was in the garage helping his dad tidy up slightly. But since his dad had gone in to get some drinks for them, Ron was free to greet Hermione with a kiss as opposed to them customary "hey" that he would have given otherwise. He could tell that Hermione was troubled by the expression her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked knowingly, setting down what he was doing to pay attention to her.

"It's Harry," she said, throwing her hands up in the air, "Merlin, he is clever. I think he's figured out about us. And it won't be long until Ginny finds out, then the rest of your family and all of our friends and it will all just snowball from there!"

Ron got up and walked over to his best girl friend. He placed his hands on her shoulders as her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths and ran them down her arms to calm her down. Then he took her hands and rubbed them in his own bigger ones.

"Hermione," he said, looking into her chocolate brown eyes, "everything with be fine. It will all work out in the end." He pulled her into his chest and hugged her tightly. She just fit so nicely against him. They stayed like that until they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. Ginny stood in the doorway, grinning like a fool, a tray of lemonade in her hands.

"Mum sent me out with these, but I can come back later if you two are busy with something else." She wiggled her eyebrows knowingly and set the tray down before hurrying from the garage. Hermione shrieked and Ron had to work hard to calm her down again.

LATER

Hermione and Ron sat in Ron's bedroom. Hermione was sorting through the books in the corner while Ron watched her happily. Ron was supposed to be cleaning his room, but Hermione had helped him do it by magic and it was done in less than 5 minutes. After kissing her for a while, she had decided to sort through the supplies they would need to be taking. And Ron was just fine watching her do this. Just then the door to Ron's room opened. Thinking it was his mother Ron quickly got up off the bed and went to the closet to look as though he was doing something.

_The rest of the conversation follows from there as it is in the seventh HP_

Harry somehow escaped out of sorting wedding presents by mumbling some excuse about dirty laundry, so Hermione and Ron were left alone again. Ron wanted to talk, but Hermione insisted on sorting through the presents first. Ron figured she was trying to avoid him, because she didn't want to upset Harry.

_Harry,_ Ron sneered as he placed a magical cooking pot in the kitchen appliance section of the room, _she always thinks of him first._ Ron remembered way back in fourth year when he had been extremely jealous of how much time Harry and Hermione spent together. They had convinced him that they didn't see each other like that, but hey, old habits die hard.

By the time the presents were done being sorted, it was practically dark outside and the table was being set Fred and George, who still looked off balance without his ear. Late that night, Ron and Hermione crept upstairs to Hermione's uninhabited room, as Ginny had fallen asleep on the couch downstairs. They curled up together on Hermione's bed, just liking the feeling of another person next to them.

"We won't have many more opportunities to do this, will we?" asked Hermione into the darkness.

"No, but you'll always have Harry to cuddle with if I'm not here," answered Ron quietly. Hermione was up on her knees in an instant, facing Ron with a hurt expression on her face.

"How could say that, Ronald? You know I choose you."

"Yeah," said Ron, propping himself up on one elbow, "but Harry would be so much better for you."

"Ron-" began Hermione, before he silenced her with a kiss.

"Just promise me one thing," said Ron, breaking away, "if you end up choosing him, just let me know, ok?"

"Fine, Ronald," said Hermione, laying back down next to him, "but I want you to know that I will always choose you."

**A/N: Aww! I love them. I always wondered why Ron said in the seventh one "I get it. You choose him." like they had discussed choosing sides before or something, so I threw this in there to have some solid evidence of a conversation about choosing Harry taking place. I'll try to put another chapter up tomorrow or the next day, but no promises. R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

The Wedding

The next few days, up until the wedding, passed by placidly, with the exception of Rufus Scrimigour's visit. The Delacours arrived, towing along the beautiful Gabrielle, causing Ginny no end of jealousy over Harry. Hermione and Ron listened to her rant and rave about the slivery haired Beuxbaton until finally, the night before Harry's birthday, Hermione had had enough.

"Oh, just go tell Harry how you feel already, Ginerva!" she cried from her position of Ron's arm around her shoulders, partially to hold her back. Now that Ginny had figured out about the two of them, they no longer restrained themselves around her. Ginny turned on Hermione fiercely with her mouth open, about to retort, but then she suddenly closed it and thought for a moment. Ron and Hermione watched as Ginny spun on her heel and turned to leave the Burrow's living room, calling over her shoulder, "You're right, Hermione! Thanks!"

"Now what's she going off to do?" asked Ron, pulling Hermione close to him and holding her hand in free one.

"Well, she is probably going off to tell Harry how she feels," said Hermione, in a matter of fact tone.

"What?!" cried Ron, leaping up from the couch, only to feel Hermione's grip on the back of his t-shirt.

"Ronald, where are you going?" hissed Hermione, trying to talk some sense into Ron.

"To stop Potter from screwing around with my sister again! You know how cut up she was when he ended it, even if it was with good intentions." Ron broke free from Hermione's grasp, but Hermione darted in front of him and blocked the doorway, pushing against Ron's chest.

"Ronald, stop it right now!" Hermione shoved against Ron's chest, trying to no avail to push him back to the couch. When that didn't work, she tried talking again. "Ron, you know Ginny would at least plan something to win Harry back! And you know that Harry won't take her back! He knows what he has to do and he knows it won't involve Ginny, so please just stop trying to beat up your best mate!" Hermione gave one final big shove at the same time Ron stopped struggling, causing them to topple over onto the ground, Hermione falling on top of Ron.

Ron looked up at Hermione in the twinkling firelight. She had propped herself up on her hands and knees over top of him and flipped her hair so that it was all hanging over one shoulder. She was about to get up when he grabbed her wrists, holding her down with him.

"Have I ever told you how much I love it when you say my name?" whispered Ron.

"No," said Hermione, but before she could continue that thought, Ron was snogging her senseless. After about a minute of this, they heard someone clear their throat from the doorway and broke apart.

"Mum sent me down to tell you two that there are people sleeping in this house, so be quiet," said George from the doorway. "I'll just return upstairs and tell her you got him settled, Hermione."

"NO!" cried the two teens, causing George to stop in his tracks, while Hermione continued. "Please don't tell anyone George. We don't want to upset Harry, or anyone else for that matter. It was just a snog."

George looked between them, now standing fully upright and a good foot apart. "Fine," said George as Ron and Hermione let out a breath they had been holding in, "put I don't want to see the pair of you snogging on every surface in the house. It is bad enough when one of us walks in on you two and you don't even notice. Harry still doesn't have a clue, don't worry, and just keep it behind a locked door, eh?"

The blushing pair walked quickly past George and upstairs to bed. After a final kiss goodnight, they parted on the landing.

At the wedding

The wedding had been beautiful in Hermione's opinion. Gold was actually a great color for a theme. Now Ron was twirling her around on the dance floor. Viktor had shown up, being invited by Fleur, and caused the green monster of jealousy to leap out of Ron. But Hermione enjoyed dancing with him. In fact, her first actual slow dance had been with Ron, way back when.

_FLASHBACK_

_Hermione had found a lone balcony in Hogwarts and her wand was playing slow music. She tried dancing by herself, but it was no good. Viktor had asked her to the dance, expecting her to be able to dance, but she had never danced a slow dance before in her life. The one time in class McGonagall had tried to show them how to dance, she had danced with Neville, but he hadn't been so light on his feet. The wind picked up and her hair blew into her face, causing her a moment's frustration as she tied it up with a flick of her wand. Just then a twig snapped behind her._

_Gasping in shock, she whirled around on her heel and pointed her wand at the entrance to the balcony. Out of the darkness came Ron, hands in the air in surrender. _

"_Ronald, what are you doing out of bed?" she hissed, embarrassed at being caught._

"_I could ask you the same thing," he retorted. "You realize you need a partner to properly learn how to dance?"_

"_Yes, of course I realize that, but seeing as appropriate dance partners are far and few, I am left with this alternative."_

_Ron stepped forward until he was about a foot from her. He placed his wand on the side of the balcony, playing a soft slow song. Ron held out his hand for Hermione to take. Hermione glanced at his hand in apprehension for a moment before taking it._

_Ron turned her around on the spot and they started dancing a steady waltz in time to the music. Ron placed a hand delicately on her waist and guided her hand to behind his neck, where his hair tickled it gently. He grabbed her free hand in his and started a step-step-turn move, guiding her along with him. Not once did he step on her feet. Every now and then, he would lift her into the air, causing her to smile. When the song ended and was replaced with another, more delicate melody, Hermione spoke in a low tone._

"_Ron, where did you learn to dance like that?"_

_Ron's ears turned red and he looked down at his feet for the first time. "When I was five, my mum enrolled me in dance classes. From then on, I was the only guy in a class of 20 ballroom dancers. I spent about 4 years picking up and twirling girls in class and even competed some. I just remembered the steps I used when I was dancing then and used them now." Ron had stopped swaying at this point and was simply standing with his hands on Hermione, talking to her._

"_Go ahead and laugh if you want to. My brothers had a right good time of it before I finally stopped taking lessons." Ron let go of Hermione, but Hermione grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist again. _

"_Ron, do you see me laughing? I think it's brilliant. Now, would you please teaching me that spinning step so I have it down perfectly?"_

_FLASHFORWARD_

Hermione felt those strong arms around her again and smiled to herself. Without realizing it, they had been dancing for at least half an hour now and her feet were starting to hurt in those high heels. Ron noticed her wince in pain on a particularly complicated step and stopped dancing.

"Why did you stop?" asked Hermione, shifting her weight form one foot to the other.

"Because you are obviously in pain and I am starting to get thirsty," retorted Ron, letting go of her waist, but taking her hands. "Why don't you go sit with Harry and I'll get us some punch?"

"Fine," said Hermione, letting go of his hands and walking away before calling over her shoulder "Hurry back!"

**A/N: I love the flashback scenes! I like that this one showed a sweet side to Ron that we rarely saw in their fourth year. R&R for ideas of adorable R/H scenes that I could add in. I have gotten as far as when Ron gets to shell cottage after he leaves Harry and Hermione. I need ideas for after that. Help!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ahh, yes readers, it is that magical time of day where I once again publish the chapter you have been stressing all day over for. Not really, but I wish you were. OK, I have been getting a lot of positive comments, but I want some real feedback. I can take it, give me some criticism, it need not be constructive! If you think that my story sucks or is just a parody of the other half a million R/H fanfics out there, please do not restrain in telling me so. Of course, I love positive comments too! R&R!!!**

Grimmauld Place

Hermione looked over to where Ron lay watching her on the floor. After insisting that she sleep on the cushions form the couch, he had taken the spot next to her, so that they could be close.

The wedding, quickly followed by the incident at the diner had shaken her pretty badly, but she was doing a good job of hiding it. After looking to make sure that Harry was asleep, she crawled off her cushions and tucked into Ron's side, under his sleeping bag. He wrapped his arms around her as she started shaking with nerves.

"Hermione, it's going to be ok," said Ron into her hair.

"How do you know?" she demanded quietly. "How do you know that we couldn't just die at any moment?"

"I don't know," replied Ron, holding her closer. "But I do know that when I am with you, Hermione, the world seems like a better place." Ron tilted her head up and kissed her gently for a while. When broke off the kiss, he looked into her eyes with something of nervousness.

"I think I love you," said Ron gently, watching Hermione's eyes widen, then soften into a gaze of what? Love? Understanding? Non-returning of feelings? Ron was startled when Hermione wrapped her arms around Ron's waist, pulling him closer. His own arms constricted of their own accord around her shoulders, tangling his hands in her hair.

"I love you too, Ronald Weasley." And she kissed him passionately. Like that night in sixth year. And the night Ron first told her that he liked her only about two weeks ago. Ron tilted his head to the side and the continued the kiss until Ron ended up on top of Hermione, his weight pressing onto her and Hermione was suddenly overcome with a wave of sleepiness. After yawning into Ron's mouth, he insisted that she get some sleep, for her own well-being.

"Fine," said Hermione, crawling out of his sleeping bag and into her own. Ron scooted closer in his own sleeping bag, nudging up right next to the cushions. She grabbed his hand and held it gently in her own, smaller one. Ron tried to pull it back, but she held on tightly.

"What about Harry? What'll he think if he wakes up to see us holding hands?"

"I don't care," said Hermione, planting a kiss on his lips, "I still think we should keep the kissing to a minimum, zero around him, but holding hands when he isn't looking should be fine. I just need to feel you close to me, Ron."

Ron kissed her hand lightly and she fell asleep within minutes. He spent another hour watching her until he too finally fell asleep, his last thought being of his love for Hermione Granger.

**A/N: short, sweet and to the point. I always wondered if they actually fell asleep holding hands or if they just looked like it. It was this scene that sparked the entire story (kind of) so I hope you enjoyed it, even if it was vertically challenged (AKA short). R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Umm, so I hate to admit it, but this is the last chapter that I have finished so far. Don't worry, it isn't the end of the story! It's just now you might have to wait a couple days between chapters. Enjoy this one though!**

One Night in the Forest (Before Ron Leaves)

Ron had volunteered for mushroom collecting with Hermione because he wanted to be alone with her. Harry always seemed to be interrupting whenever they were about to start a snog session, or when Ron whispered I love you into Hermione's ear. Now they were alone in a forest in the middle of nowhere picking fungi. You couldn't get anymore unromantic than that.

Ron placed down his collection of picked plants and walked up behind Hermione, grabbing her around the waist. She jumped at his touch, but melted back into his arms, listening to his whisper in her ear.

"I haven't kissed you since Grimmalaud Place, Miss Granger."

"Kiss me then, Mr. Weasley."

Ron kissed Hermione, holding her in his arms for about 5 minutes, before they both felt chills overcome them from the cold. Winter was coming fast and furious. Ron led Hermione over to a semi-flat boulder and rubbed her icy hands between his own trying to warm her up.

"So where is Harry leading us tomorrow night?" asked Ron, guessing that Hermione probably knew more than he did.

"Honestly, Ron, your guess is as good as mine. I thought Dumbledore had given him more of a plan than this."

"Same here," said Ron, now putting an arm around her shoulders and tucking her into his jacket. "I thought we would have somewhere to start from."

"Well, I guess the main goal is to find them all eventually. It doesn't necessarily have to be all at once, even if that is preferable."

"I know what you mean. The one thing I wish for is good news about my family. And our friends at Hogwarts. I miss Hogwarts."

"Well I never thought I would hear the day when Ronald Weasley would say that he missed Hogwarts."

"Not the parts that you probably miss!" cried Ron, thinking she missed the studying and books and the library.

"Let's see about that. I miss the nights where we stayed up late in the common room, just laughing about nothing. I miss DA meetings because I had so much fun sneaking around. I miss catching you secretly watching me while I did my homework. I miss Hagrid's intolerable lessons and Dumbledore's opening year speeches. I miss watching you play Quidditch from the stands and cheering you on and calling out things I would never say if I was the only one talking. I miss the halls and secret passages of Hogwarts. But most of all, I miss walking through the halls with you between Charms and History of Magic. Do you know why?"

Ron shook his head and Hermione continued. "Because it was the only time I got to spend with you and you alone in a school filled with people who were involved in each others' business all the time, everyday."

Ron smiled and held Hermione close. "You got almost all of them, except for one."

"Which one did I miss?" asked Hermione, looking up at her secret, well, she guessed Ron was her boyfriend.

"Do you remember second year?"

_FLASHBACK_

_Ron sat quietly in the hospital wing, holding Hermione's icy, frozen hand. He had always wondered what it would feel like to hold a girl's hand, but this probably wasn't quite it. Either way, the only thing he had left to worry about now was Hermione waking up. Harry had killed the basilisk and saved Ginny and Lockhart was no longer a git who knew it, but just a git. _

_Madame Pomfrey finally came by to Hermione's bed, which was the last in the row. The others who had been petrified were now waking up and eating the food on the trays next to their beds, chatting with the people next to them. Madame Pomfrey smiled at Ron knowingly (he hated it when adults did that) and poured some of the frothy pale green liquid down Hermione's throat._

"_It'll be a few moments, dear," said Madame Pomfrey, placing the cap on the bottle of Mandrake Draft. _

"_What does that taste like?" asked Ron, sounding stupid even to him._

"_It tastes just like chocolate chip mint ice cream," responded Madame Pomfrey, rushing over to where Colin Creevey was asking for more pumpkin juice._

_Ron looked over at Hermione to see her eyelids fluttering. Her hand became warm in his grasp and he felt a pulse down by her wrist. She used her free hand to rub her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a second before coming to her senses and looking to see Ron sitting at her bedside._

"_Ronald!" she cried, sitting bolt upright. "It's a basilisk! The thing in the chamber! And it is using pipes to get around the school! It is a giant snake and that is why Harry-"_

"_Hermione, shut up, we already know," said Ron bluntly, smiling at the sound of his friend's voice. _

"_Oh," said Hermione, lying back against her pillows. "Well did you find the chamber? Did anyone die?"_

"_Yes we found the chamber and Ginny almost died." Ron recounted the story and Hermione gasped in all the right places, making Ron even more exuberant in his story telling. By the end of the story, the entire hospital wing, including Madame Pomfrey, was listening intensely, Penelope Clearwater even had tears in her eyes at the end. By the time Ron finished, it was one in the morning and the other students were aching to get back to their houses. Madame Pomfrey was giving last minute instructions._

"_You probably won't feel tired for a while and it will take your body awhile to return to its normal patterns. Drink plenty of fluids and eat a lot of calories for the next few days!"_

_Ron escorted Hermione back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry still being absent. Outside the tower Hermione suddenly realized something; Ron had been holding her hand this entire time, not that she was complaining. When she realized this, she twitched her hand in his instinctively and Ron suddenly realized what he had been doing, too. He released her hand and they both blushed._

"_Sorry about that," said Ron, ears still scarlet. "It's just, we were worried about you, Hermione. Harry and I both were. We didn't like not hearing your voice telling us the answers everyday in class, or correcting our speech in daily conversation."_

_Hermione stepped closer to Ron, hands behind her back, smiling. "Both you and Harry missed those things? Or just you?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Ron on the cheek. She took a step back, suddenly realizing what she had done and blushed even more ferociously. "Thanks for walking me back Ron."_

"_Anything for you Hermione," replied Ron, looking a little dumbstruck. Just then Harry raced around the corner, shouting for Ron._

"_Ron! RON! Dumbledore said Hermione is awake and-"Harry was cut off by Hermione racing to hug him tightly._

"_Well, I guess you already knew then," said Harry over Hermione's shoulder._

_FLASHFORWARD_

"That," said Ron, holding Hermione warm little hand again, "is one of my favorite memories of Hogwarts."

"Really?" asked Hermione, smiling brightly.

"Really," said Ron, kissing Hermione gently on the lips. They jumped apart when they heard the sounds of leaves crackling and Harry's voice calling for them. He found them picking up their mushrooms, heads close together, hands brushing every now and then, concentrating hard on what they were doing.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So I finished this sooner than I thought. Tomorrow I am going to have tons of time to finish some of my stories, so I might have multiple chapter updates on Sunday. Watch out for that, and enjoy this chapter. It isn't really signifigant as far as storyline goes. It is just basically when Ron's arrives at Shell Cottage. Kind of cool to see from his perspective**

Ron's Solo Trip to Shell Cottage

The snatchers had been brutal, but it had given Ron time to think. He had almost apparated back to the Burrow, but he knew his family would never forgive him if they knew he had left Harry and Hermione. Hermione. He missed her so much, but he had no idea where they were, or if he would ever even see them again.

Shell Cottage was his best bet. He had always been Bill's favorite, besides Charlie of course. Once he stopped in front of the cottage, the smell of salt air hit him hard in the face, making him gasp in surprise. The cottage was very nice, looking almost lavender colored with a golden outline in the setting sun, though it was pure white during the day. Ron could see Fleur in the kitchen cooking, looking bored, not noticing that Ron was there. But Fleur liked him and she would probably be the most forgiving of his actions. Bill would be cold to him until he went back to Harry and Hermione, but would let Ron stay in his house while he sorted through his problems.

All of a sudden there was a crack directly behind him, followed by someone colliding with Ron from behind. Bill had his wand pointed at the bridge of Ron's nose before Ron could even whip out one of the wands he had on him.

"When my brother Ron was four, his teddy bear was transformed into what by his elder brothers Fred and George?" demanded Bill as Ron heard the door quietly open behind his back. Golden light spilled across the lawn, almost reaching the pair of brothers, but stopping dead feet from their spot in the yard. Fleur gasped at the sight of Bill pinning his wand to Ron's nose.

"A spider! It was a spider!" cried Ron, throwing his hands in the air. Bill sagged in relief and lowered his wand as he clapped his little brother on the shoulder. Fleur hustled them inside after giving Ron his customary hug and kiss while Bill got straight to the point after they were all seated at the dining room table.

"Where are Harry and Hermione? I thought they would be with you? Or did you guys spilt up to try and accomplish the mission seperately?"

"No, none of those," replied Ron, blushing red. "I left them."

Fleur gasped and Bill moaned holding his head in his hands. "Ronald, why would you do something like that? I should send you to Mum so she can give you a good tongue lashing-"

"NO!" cried Ron, leaping from his chair. Fleur jumped at the action, spilling some of the rolls she was placing in a basket. She waved her wand with her free hand, gathering the dropped bread from the floor and placing it back in the basket. Fleur continued setting the table while Ron finished his story.

"Please don't tell Mum! I can here instead of there because I knew you two would be the most forgiving. Mum probably will kick me out and then where will I be? Snatchers will probably get me again." Ron crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said Bill, staring down at Ron, "snatchers got you?"

"Yeah," said Ron, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the wands, "but I got away and got a spare wand in the process."

"Good," replied Bill, "I'm glad you weren't hurt and a spare wand can be useful. So where have you three been for the past couple months. No one has seen or heard from you since the wedding."

"Basically, we have been camping in forests trying to think of a plan. Dumbledore left Harry with less than we thought and we have had difficulty trying to locate the items he wanted us to retrieve."

"Let me guess," said Bill, "your leaving had something to do with that and Hermione, who seems to have affected your vocabulary as well."

Ron looked down at his feet, ashamed. "So, you know too, then?"

"Of course," said Bill, looking slightly grim. "Anyone who had been around you two for more than 5 minutes this summer knew. Even Mum and Dad. Granted, I was one of the few who actually saw you two snogging in the kitchen."

Fleur finally set the last place setting, and sat at Bill's side, across from Ron. Fleur motioned for them to dig in and Ron gladly did. It was the first real food he had had in months. But he felt guilty as he took a rather large bite of his potatoes. Harry and Hermione had next to nothing to eat and here he was stuffing his face. Bill watched as Ron put his fork down.

"Does it taste alright?" asked Bill, not wanting his little brother's habits to upset his wife.

"Yeah, it tastes delicious," said Ron, picking up his fork again, only to set it back down. "It's just, well, I'm not hungry. Do you two mind if I stay here for a while? I wouldn't ask, but I really have no where else to go." Fleur smiled warmly at him.

"Of course you must stay, Ron," she said, waving her wand to light some lights down the hall. "'ere, that will help you get to your room."

"Thanks, Fleur," said Ron, rising from the table. "Thanks Bill."

"Just be grateful I won't mention this to Mum, Ron. But if she, or anyone else comes by to check on us, you're on your own."

"Got it!" called Ron over his shoulder. He made his way to one of the guest bedrooms upstairs. It was about the same size as his room at the Burrow, but painted in completely pale colors. The main color was a light lavender hue, that reminded Ron of the dress Hermione wore to the Yule Ball. Ron sank down against the bed, his head in his hands. How could he have left them? Now they could be who knows where. Christmas was coming up fast. What a cheery holiday that would be.

Ron stared out the window and watched as for a moment the clouds broke, releasing a luminous glow of stars twinkling down, hopefully watching over his two best friends for him.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yea! I got another chapter done! Not much more I have to say.... R&R!!!**

In the Tent (right before Ron comes back)

Hermione tossed and turned on her bunk. Haunting most of her thoughts was the red-haired monster who had abandoned her and Harry, but the times he snuck up most were at night. That used to be their time, when they would sneak into the garden to be together. Come to think of it, all of their special moments together had happened at night. Hermione felt a single tear escape the corner of her eye and watched it drop onto her pillow. How could she cry over a boy?

_Because he broke your heart_, said a small voice at the back of her head, _you let him in and he kicked you out._

Hermione heard the leaves rustle outside and watched through the canvas as Harry lit his wand. He had guard duty tonight and boy, was it chilly. For each sweater she wore, she made sure that Harry wore two. It was the coldest night so far and Hermione wrapped herself further into her blankets and remembered another memory involving blankets.

_FLASHBACK_

_Hermione's shoulders shivered involuntarily in the night chill. They had just finished the school year and for a June night, it was surprisingly cold. Harry had gone back to his Aunt and Uncle's house and Hermione was staying with the Weasley's for one more night. Though she loved Ginny like a sister, she didn't think she could take one more moment of that girl going on about Harry. So she had escaped to the third floor balcony with her book, now wishing she had brought a blanket with her._

_Hermione glanced up from her book and looked at the stars for a second. Astronomy had never been her best subject, partially because recognizing stars was hard to learn out of a book. Hermione gasped as a particularly chilly blast of wind came from the North. As she shivered and hunched over her shoulders, she felt a warm blanket slip over her shoulders. Hermione looked up to see Ron slouching quietly away from her, trying not to disturb Hermione while she was reading._

"_Ron," she called out, softly. Ron froze and turned back around. Hermione motioned to the blanket._

"_Sorry, Hermione," said Ron, walking back over, and taking the blanket off her shoulders. "I just thought you looked cold, so I found you a blanket, but if you don't want it…"_

"_No, no, Ronald," she chuckled lightly, pulling the blanket back around her shoulders. "I just wanted to say thanks for it. I was freezing."_

"_Well, then, your welcome," said Ron, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Can I sit down? Mum is going at it with Ginny again about going back to Hogwarts and I could use some peace and quiet."_

"_Of course, Ron," said Hermione and Ron pulled over a chair and reclined next to her. They looked at the stars for a moment before either spoke._

"_Which one is Sirius?" asked Hermione, softly._

"_That one," said Ron, pointing in a general direction. Hermione, having recently come to terms with her feelings for Ron last year (but knowing she could never fulfill them), leaned closer to him and asked where._

"_Just there," replied Ron, leaning in closer so that Hermione could see where he was pointing from his angle. _

_Hermione stared up into the atmosphere and saw the bright white star Ron was pointing at. It looked so pretty, it had Hermione transfixed. So much so that she didn't notice Ron staring at her. _

"_It's beautiful," whispered Hermione_

"_Mhmm," murmured Ron, incredibly close to Hermione's ear. Hermione turned her head and saw Ron's face mere inches from hers. She could pick out each freckle and saw the pristine blue of his eyes. Just as Ron leaned in to close the gap, he suddenly realized what he was doing and pulled back, scooting off his chair. Hermione watched this through half closed eyes and sighed looking down into her lap._

"_Sorry, 'Mione," said Ron, looking down to the ground. "I don't know what happened there, it's just…"_

"_What is it, Ron?" asked Hermione, looking up with hopeful eyes. Ron met her gaze for a second before turning to the door._

"_I think Mum and Ginny are done fighting. Are you going to come inside soon?"_

_Hermione looked back to the stars, the only witnesses to what had just happened. "Yeah, I'll come in soon, just let me finish this chapter."_

"_Ok, and Hermione?" asked Ron, turning back around to face her. "Enjoy the blanket."_

_FLASHFORWARD_

Hermione felt the tears silently coarse down her cheeks. She was facing away from the entrance so she neither saw, nor heard Harry come in. She only heard him after he had called her name a couple times. He sounded troubled. Brushing her tears away quickly, she sat up, removing the hair form her eyes.

"What's wrong? Harry? Are you all right?"

She heard Harry stifled a chuckle. "It's ok, everything's fine. More than fine. I'm great. There's someone here."

Hermione became worried. _Who would come visiting now? And how did they find us? _"What do you mean? Who-?"

Then she saw him, dripping wet carrying a sword of all things. She got up slowly from the bunk, noting Harry's blending into the background. Hardly daring to believe what she saw, Hermione walked up to Ron and stood right in front, seeing those freckles that she loved so much in front of her eyes again. She didn't know what to do first; hug him, punch him, kiss him, shove his face into the snow. But when she saw him raise his arms as if to embrace her, she knew exactly what do, feeling the white hot blinding of rage course through her body

_Scene continues as written until the end of the chapter._

Ron finished pulling on his pajamas, plus some sweaters and volunteered to take first watch. He sat outside the tent, listening to Harry's light snoring and Hermione's uneven breathing. He picked up a book he saw nearby, the one Dumbledore had given Hermione. He paged through it, remembering all the times he had heard these stories coming out of his mom's mouth, or his brothers' jokes, or telling them to Ginny when she was sick with Dragon Pox. He was so engorged in the Fountain of Fair Fortune that he didn't hear muffled footsteps come up beside him.

"Is my seeing ok?" asked Hermione, sitting down a foot from where Ron was, wrapped in her blanket. "Ronald Weasley, reading a book?"

"Is my hearing ok?" asked Ron, bitterly. "Hermione Granger, trying to tell a joke?"

"Oh, ha ha," remarked Hermione, tucking her knees under her chin, wrapping her arms around herself. "What is the matter with you anyways? I thought you were happy to be back?"

"I am, but you're not, and that plainly shows," retorted Ron, looking in the opposite direction of Hermione. Hermione felt hurt by that last comment and scooted closer to Ron, placing a tentative hand on his arm. Ron felt instantly warm under the small pressure of her hand and let down his guard slightly.

"Ron?" asked Hermione, "That was just a fit of passion. You left us! How could I not be angry?"

"I thought you would cool down eventually, though and be happy that I was back."

"I am happy. I am so happy that you came back. Ron, we couldn't do this without you. Harry and I are best friends, yes, but without you, there isn't any laughter."

"So, I'm the entertainment then?" asked Ron, sarcastically. "Good to know why you guys keep me around."

"You didn't let me finish," said Hermione, now smiling. "You have ideas like no one else's. You think outside the box and your friendship kept us from not making up all those times we argued. Ron, I can tell, Harry is slightly lost without you. It's like he lost an arm or something. He needs you with him on his adventures, Ron, especially to help him back up if he falls."

"And what about us, Hermione?" asked Ron, turning to face the girl of his dreams. "I missed you so much while I was gone; all I could think about was you getting hurt and me not being there to protect you."

"You worry too much," responded Hermione. "I'm fine and so is Harry, and, Ron, I missed you too. I've barely stopped crying ever since you left, but do you really blame me? I am in love with the greatest guy in the world, and I can't even tell the world."

"Yeah, Harry is a pretty great bloke," Ron crossed his arms and stared into the forest while Hermione looked abashed. How could Ron still think that she picked Harry? She let out a sigh.

"You know, for a clever person, you can be extremely thick sometimes." Ron looked at Hermione sideways in question. "How can you still think that I would choose Harry over you? I love you, Ronald Weasley! Merlin, how thick to you have to be to realize that I missed you so much while you were gone?! I cannot believe that I came out here to apologize for my behavior earlier and now you are just grinning from ear to ear… Wait, why are you so happy?"

"You said that you love me," said Ron, pulling Hermione close to him. Hermione let him hold her for a second before remembering her anger from before and shoving his arms away from around him. In spite of all of this, he was still grinning like a fool, making her even madder. Giving one last shriek of desperation, she stormed back into the tent and threw herself down on her bunk, only to realize she had forgotten her thickest blanket outside. Not wanting to go back out there, she just shivered under her blankets.

When footsteps approached, she faked sleep, controlling her breathing and closing her eyes. Warmth enveloped her and red hair tickled her forehead as Ron tucked a blanket around her skinny form. As an after thought he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, too," he murmured and strode from the tent to finish his watch, leaving Hermione wrapped in darkness with only her confused thoughts to keep her company.

**A/N: Aww, Ron is such a sweetie. I always thought it seemed like he was nicer after he came back in the seventh one and I also think that he would need Hermione's confirmation on her and Harry's relationship before he could accept it. That is why he is so cheerful in the following days. I think I am going to skip the trip to the Lovegood's, just because there isn't really a R/H scene in there. Maybe I should add in a cute scene where they make up.... You read, now review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Ahh, the epic Malfoy Manor scene where we finally have JK's confirmation of the whole Ron/Hermione relationship! I tried to depict it as best I could, but I kind of lost my copy of HP7 (it is somewhere in my room, I just have to find it), so the end of the chapter doesn't follow a particular storyline and it was just from memory, so if something is out of place, let me know so I can fix it! Enjoy!**

Malfoy Manor

"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except… except for the Mudblood."

Anger erupted in Ron's brain as fear filled Hermione's thoughts.

"No!" shouted Ron, you can have me, keep me!"

Bellatrix hit him across the face……

Hermione's screams echoed off the walls upstairs, Ron was half sobbing as he pounded the walls with his fists…..

Above them, Hermione's vision faded in and out with the casting and recasting of the curse. Each time brought on more pain. The only way she kept her thoughts coherent was because of Ron. She could hear him screaming for her form the cellar and watched as Bellatrix got joy from their pain…..

As Ron ran to pull Hermione out of the wreckage of the chandelier, all he could think was of her. He finally saw her bushy hair trapping the shards of crystal, her eyes closed and her face covered in cuts, the most severe being the one on her neck. Ron managed to pull her arms out of the wreckage only to find her unconscious. The next few minutes were a rush for Ron. He caught a wand from Harry and within seconds, he and Hermione were at Bill and Fleur's quickly followed by Harry, Dobby and the goblin. Fleur rushed outside to help, but Ron easily lifted the petite Hermione inside.

Fleur guided them to a guest bedroom overlooking the ocean. Hermione's eyes fluttered as Ron laid her on the bed, kissing her face gently. Fleur pushed him to the other side of the bed as she tended to Hermione's bleeding wound on her neck. Ron watched as Fleur applied a serum to the cut and it started to heal instantly.

"Essence of Dittany," murmured Ron, grabbing Hermione's hand as she winced in pain. Fleur looked startled.

"'Ow did you know zat, Ron? I did not know zat you were interested in 'ealing," asked Fleur, watching Ron look over Hermione. He kissed her hand lightly before responding.

"No, I just pay attention," replied Ron as Fleur left the room to tend to the others. Ron remembered another event where he had to tend to Hermione.

FLASHBACK

_Ron lay in the Hospital Wing. It had been a long night and an even longer one for Harry. Now, the other five who had been with him were recovering in the Hospital Wing and Harry was still talking to Dumbledore. _

_Across the aisle, Ginny, Neville and Luna all lay in restless slumbers. Hermione was sleeping next to Ron in her own bed. Or so Ron thought. He heard a sound from the bed next to his; the rustling of blankets and sheets. Ron turned over to see Hermione sitting up, looking out the window. Ron took a deep breath and spoke to her._

"_What are you thinking right now?"_

_Hermione answered him without even turning her head._

"_How much this hurts."_

_Ron was by her side in an instant. "How much what hurts? Where, Hermione?"_

_Hermione turned her head stiffly to one of her best friends and patted him on the cheek. She smiled at his nervous expression, looking at her like a china doll, too fragile to take off the shelf._

"_I'm fine, Ronald. My back and side are just sore. Madame Pomfrey said I would be for the next few weeks. Dark magic doesn't cure itself overnight-." All of a sudden, Hermione grabbed her side, wincing in pain. Ron held her shoulders delicately and smoothed back her hair from her forehead. Her features were contorted in pain, but she gasped, shuttering all over and swayed back and forth, releasing her side. Ron scooped her up in his arms and set her on his lap. She leaned against him in support, tucking her head under his chin. She closed her eyes and Ron rocked her in his arms, murmuring softly. After she had calmed down slightly, he asked her another question._

"_What just happened?" Hermione sighed, taking one of his hands in her own._

"_Every so often, the residual magic in my body spikes and gives me some sharp pains, but it isn't anything I can't handle." Hermione looked defiant as she said this and Ron pulled her in closer to whisper in her ear._

"_You don't need to be brave now Hermione. It's just me."_

"_But I always have to be brave, Ron. For everyone. Everyone is constantly looking to me for the answers and sometimes I just don't have them. But bravery is a front you can wear when you don't know what will happen next. Courage is shown in the face of fear and pain and suffering. Only then can we even begin to hope."_

"_Did you get that from Hogwarts, A History?" asked Ron, smirking into the dark as Hermione playfully smacked his arm._

"_No, I made that one up myself. I am not a walking encyclopedia, Ronald."_

"_I know that Hermione. Now, we should both get some sleep before we wake up the others." Ron set Hermione down on her bed and almost at once, Hermione missed the warm feeling of his arms around her. Ron tucked in her blankets and, on an impulse, swiftly kissed the top of her head before practically leaping to his own bed and pulling the blankets over his shoulders. Hermione sat stunned for a moment before lying back against her pillows and closing her eyes. _

"_Good night, Hermione," called Ron._

_Hermione smiled and her last conscious thought was saying "Good night, Ron," to the red-headed boy in the bed next to hers._

Hermione's eyes fluttered open almost as soon as Fleur was gone.

"Oh, Hermione," sighed Ron, holding her close for a few moments before releasing her to see tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, Love?"

"I feel so useless!" cried Hermione after a moment, looking down into her lap. "The whole time, all I could think was that you and Harry didn't deserve to have someone as useless as me dragging you down. I know it was the curse amplifying my feelings, but I still feel this way and the curse is over. Please, Ron, tell me I'm not useless."

Ron looked at Hermione hard before taking her hands in his.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you are stubborn, cocky, show-offish, a know-it-all and quirky, but you are the furthest thing from useless." Ron kissed Hermione lightly on the lips and felt her melt against him. From the doorway, someone cleared their throat.

"If you two aren't busy," said Bill, leaning against the doorframe, "a house elf has died and Harry refuses to dig the grave by hand."

"I'll go help him," said Ron, looking up at Bill, then looking back to Hermione. "You'll be alright while I'm gone?"

Hermione placed a cold hand on his cheek. "Of course, now go!" Ron left the room and Bill followed his little brother until they reached the Kitchen, where Fleur was. Bill watched as Dean joined the other two and all three dug the grave. He couldn't help but think of how Ron had grown up in the past weeks since he had left Shell Cottage and returned to his friends. He now had a girl he loved and best friends who could count on him for anything. Bill smiled and thought of how proud he was of his little brother.

**A/N: Ron most certainly has matured. I think that part of it is Hermione's influence on him. Tell me what you thought of the chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: ok, so this is not one of my favorite chapters, but I have a good plan for the next one. It's just that this scene is so overdone on fanfiction that there is hardly any more scenarios left to write. I tried to keep it basic and it is mainly a lead in to the next chapter, but I decided to leave you with a cliffhanger. Have fun reading!**

The Chamber of Secrets (not the actual one, but the one in HP7)

Hermione shivered next to Ron as Luna and Harry raced into the dark. All at once, chaos broke out around them. Behind him, he heard the portal swing open again, only to admit his parents. His mother saw him first.

"Ronald!" she cried with tears in her eyes, racing over to hug her son. Ron smiled in spite of himself and hugged his mother back fiercely. Molly pulled back and looked at her young man. He had gotten thinner, but stronger and taller too. Arthur then pulled his son into a hug as well and they both started asking questions, but Ron stopped them.

"I can't tell you anything just yet, except that I think it will be over soon," said Ron sadly, giving both his parents hugs again before they turned to their other children to see that they were alright. Ron turned to Hermione who looked at him with glassy eyes.

"You really think it will be over soon?" she asked, rubbing his arm. Ron shook his head slowly and enfolded Hermione in his arms.

"This is like the Chamber of Secrets all over again!" cried Ron in exasperation when Harry still hadn't returned a few minutes later. Hermione tried to calm him down and he was on the verge of throwing a fit when suddenly, he looked as though a lightbulb had gone off in his head.

"Blimey, that gives me an idea!" he exclaimed, grabbing Hermione's arm and, upon seeing a broomstick in the corner, grabbed that too. Ginny saw him dragging a confused Hermione to the door and headed them off, but Ron brushed past her and out into the school.

"Ronald where are you going?" she called to their retreating figures.

"To the bathroom!" called back Ron. Suddenly Hermione understood what they were doing and started using her feet to keep pace with Ron's long strides. They quickly made it to the little used Girl's lavatory on the second floor. Inside they both realized something almost instantaneously. Neither could speak Parseltongue.

"Maybe we could try to imitate it?" suggested Hermione, pacing across the floor of the bathroom. Ron sat in the corner, fixing the twigs on the broomstick by hand, but listened intently to Hermione's ideas. "Which one of us was the last one to hear Harry speak it? They would have the clearest memory of it."

"I was," said Ron, standing up and walking to the sink with the snake engraved in it. "He spoke it to open the locket."

"Good, can you try to remember? Please?" Ron took a deep breath and briefly heard the sounds of the first spells fired. Outside the window, he watched as someone fell by in dark black robes, but not hearing the thump of them hitting the ground.

"Was that…?" asked Hermione, trailing off. "Never mind. Focus, Ron."

Ron thought back to that night and what Harry did. He tried it for the first time, but all that came out was a strangled sound like a cross between a goose's hiss and a dying cat. After a few more tries of this, he threw his hands up in the air along with a few choice swear words.

"This is hopeless!" he cried, but Hermione hurried over to him and pulled his arms down by his sides, looking him in the eyes.

"Try Ron," she asked. "Please, for me?"

Ron nodded and walked back over. He really concentrated on his thoughts and emitted a sound, unlike the others. It actually sounded like a snake and for a second, Hermione saw a flash of red in Ron's eyes. But she blinked and looked at them again, only finding their natural blue color just as the sink rose up. Hermione cried out in happiness.

"Ron! You did it!!" she laughed, throwing herself into his arms. He spun her around and she kissed him softly on the lips. Ron stopped and gazed down at her lovingly.

"I love you so much, Hermione Granger."

"I love you too, Ronald Weasley." At that instant, Ron knew he was going to marry the girl in his arms someday. And he led her down into the Chamber of Secrets, followed her back out, their arms full of basilisk fangs, watched as she stabbed it in the girls bathroom and experienced pure joy as she flung herself into his arms once again, but this time in front of Harry. She was by his side as he watched his brother fall and held his hand while he cried in the Great Hall with his family. She helped him comfort his sister until she finally fled from the room in tears. And she was there when Voldemort's voice boomed loud, reverberating off the very walls it was emitting from.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I can't wait to see what you guys think of this chapter. It is a little longer, but it is worth it. Please please please enjoy and please please please please please please R&R!! **

Harry Potter is Dead?

Ron remembered the way the tears felt on his cheeks. He had only cried a handful of times in since he started at Hogwarts, and he remembered each one of them. Like the first night he realized he loved Hermione. Or when Dumbledore had died. And twice while he had been gone from Harry and Hermione on the Horcrux hunt. Now the tears fell softly while Hermione clutched his hand tightly. Ginny had returned only moments before, asking where Harry was. Ron and Hermione feared the worst, but hadn't had the heart to tell Ginny that the boy she loved had probably given himself over to the Dark Lord.

Then, his voice boomed through the halls and towers of Hogwarts castle.

"Harry Potter is dead."

Some seconds of You-Know-Who's speech were drowned out by Ginny's scream. Ron and Hermione both rushed to her, along with Neville and Luna, who were standing close by. Ginny collapsed in sobs and Hermione took her into her arms while Ron rubbed her back and Luna stroked her hair. Neville simply held her hand.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together." You-Know-Who's words echoed off the stone walls and reverberated in Ron's ears. The only sound that could be heard in the Great Hall was Ginny's breathy sobs, but those were silently decreasing.

All at once, everyone moved out of the Hall. Ron and Hermione supported Ginny, following directly behind McGonagall's billowing cape. Once they reached the doors, she turned and faced the crowd behind her.

"Everyone, just stay put until I find out what is going on outside," McGonagall rushed through the doors and Ron stood listening to what was happening. He looked over at Hermione and tried, tried, for her sake to smile, but it just wouldn't come. Ron didn't believe that Harry was dead, but he didn't doubt it either. Then a shrill yell bent the night.

"NO!"

It was McGonagall. Ginny rushed forward, Ron and Hermione hot at her heels. In Hagrid's arms, next to Voldemort, was the body of their best friend, Harry Potter. His limbs and body were limp and his eyes were shut. His glasses hung slightly off his face and his lightening scar was clearly visible in the deep purple night. None could hold back screams. Hermione's found its way out of her throat first.

"No!"

"_No!_"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron found himself calling out for his best friend. It was almost impossibly hard to loose two brothers in one night. Ginny's face turned white as a sheet, but she stood her ground, along with Ron and Hermione, near the front of the now riot.

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, followed by a bang. Ron felt himself forcibly quieted. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Harry was lowered to the grass and Ron wanted to push forward, to take Harry's body away from the wicked being in front of them, but he couldn't will his feet to move.

"You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

Ron felt his voice rising from his throat, pushing past the magical barriers. "He beat you!" he cried, and the charm broke as the voices of Harry's supporters rang in the air until extinguished yet again.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds killed while trying to save himself-."

But it became too much for Neville, who broke away from the ranks and onto the ground with a flash from Voldemort's wand. Hermione, thinking of a plan, was too busy to notice what was going on with Neville until the Sorting Hat lit on fire.

_If Ron and I can just cause a distraction, Ginny can get Harry's body out of here. Maybe there is still hope for him…Oh, no!_

Neville was aflame and rooted to the spot and Hermione was just pulling out her wand when suddenly, centaurs and giants burst from the woods and Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat, slicing off the head of Nagini. By the time the snake's head had hit the ground, Harry's body was gone. Hagrid began to yell out, trying to find a body that wasn't there. Hermione felt herself being pushed into the castle by a flow of Death Eaters and Defenders of Hogwarts. Not wanting to loose Ron, she grabbed his hand and held tight. But the fight became too much.

As they reached the Great Hall, Ron turned to Hermione and kissed her hard. She responded with as much enthusiasm as she could muster in the death of one of her best friends. Ron released her with a determined grin.

"For luck," was all he said before pushing through the crowd to help Neville, who was going one on one with Fenrir Greyback. Hermione started casting curses until she reached the center on the hall, helping Ginny and Luna go against Bellatrix. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neville and Ron simultaneously cast a curse directly at Greyback's heart, killing him in an instant. Ron joined the crowd circling Voldemort and Bellatrix and their duelers. He watched as the girl he loved cast curse after curse, hair in her face, face set in a determined expression of fight. When a curse shot so close that it hit an outstretched strand of Ginny's hair, Ron was about to jump in when his mother pushed him out of the way, screaming curses at Bellatrix. Ron was joined by Hermione and Ginny, holding one on either side of him. He kissed Hermione's head and watched as his mother killed Bellatrix Lestrange.

The reaction from Voldemort caused the skilled fighters he was dueling to fly across the room. Ron's voice was mustering "Protego," when all of a sudden another shield beat him to it. Expecting his dad, Ron's heart swelled with joy when he saw his bets friend standing there, pointing his wand at a shield that held back Voldemort. Molly came and stood beside Ginny, who was reduced to silent tears in the reappearance of Harry. Hermione wrapped both arms around Ron's waist and he held her close as they watched Voldemort finally go down in death.

When the cheers erupted, Hermione sprinted forward, dragging Ron behind her. They were the first to reach him, hugging him tightly, even Ron. They both shouted babble along with everyone else. Before they could lose one and other, Ron interlaced his fingers with Hermione's. He never wanted to let go of her ever again. As soon as Harry was properly mobbed, Ron and Hermione back out of the Hall and Ron pulled Hermione up a couple flights of stairs to a peacefully deserted corridor where they finally kissed without the worry. There was no longer a pressure or feeling of need behind the kiss. It was like their first one, only needed to express how they felt about each other. Simple, sweet, but with passion only for the other person.

They no longer needed to worry about Horcruxes or Hallows or Death Eaters. The only thing they had now was their future. And as the sun rose through the window in the east wall, their futures looked clouded with only each other.

**A/N: Oh, this story is SOOOO far from over, by the way. I am going to do at least one more scene from HP7, plus, the sequel is also a story I have already published, called Harry Potter Loses his Memories, followed by GW loses her memories. I want to do scenes about Ron and Hermione after that point, so maybe like a couple one-shots? Or some more chapters to this? You guys pick and shoot me a review when you decide. So, at least one more chapter to go! (Aww!)**


	13. Chapter 13

Unfortunately, for the time being, the story ends here. For approximately 3 and a half years. Yes, I know, sad but true. Ok, so next time I post, it will be about after Harry Potter Loses his Memories and after GW Loses her Memories. It will talk about all the special little Ron and Hermione moments after Ginny's memory is restored. If you want special Harry/Ginny moments, review to me and I will make it happen in some one-shots.

So that is about it. You guys are just going to have to wait until GW gets done, so I can post more.

By the way, I feel as though I haven't said this enough ever, but

THANK YOU SOME MUCH FOR READING MY STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, review please and tell me what I can improve on!!

~Lyla Ride


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Ok, so if you want more R/Hr action, you have to look at my other memory loss stories because otherwise you will be siriusly (yes the spelling is correct) behind on the times. By the time I end that story with Lucy Potter, Ron and Hermione are already married though. So which scene am I going to choose next? Read it, I dare you.**

The Test

Her nerves hadn't been this frayed since the day Voldemort went down. Well, that's not true; Ginny's wedding day had caused her so much stress she had almost passed out. But now, it wasn't fear of death or commitment. It was fear of life; of raising a life.

Hermione emerged from the bathroom and looked at her boyfriend of three years. She turned the Muggle pregnancy test over in her hand and set it on the counter. Then she went to Ron.

"Whatever it says, it'll be ok," she said, rubbing his arms as if that would wake him out of his stupor. He had been stony in both posture and phrase ever since Hermione had come home 10 minutes earlier with a pregnancy test in hand and had told him she was late. And nauseous. And had the strangest cravings. "Ronald, look at me, we can do this."

They were still living in Harry's place, but Ron was planning on proposing to Hermione that night. Until this had happened. Now, he wasn't sure of anything besides the fact that he loved her. He couldn't believe that this little white stick was going to come between them. Hermione breathed in shakily in front of him and he realized that he needed to be strong; if not for himself, then for her. He wrapped in his arms and she started crying again.

"Shh, it's ok, Hermione. C'mon, how long until we find out?"

"Another minute or two," came the muffled response from his shirt. "But, Ron, we're just kids! We can't raise a baby, let alone afford one! And we aren't even married. My parents don't even know that I live in same house as two boys!" She started hyperventilating again; apparently the thought of telling her parents had popped into her head.

"Ok, but, Hermione, promise me one thing: if that test is positive, you'll stick with me until the end. I promise to always be there for you."

"Even if I'm pregnant?" asked Hermione.

"Especially if you're pregnant," replied Ron, looking down into her big brown eyes. He kissed her softly for a minute, then kissed her forehead and walked past where the test sat on the counter to the bedroom, where he contemplated his future which suddenly depended on that plastic white stick.

Ron felt nervous. How could he not be? His sister was safe and she and Harry were engaged. God, his little sister was going to beat him to the altar. He went to his closet and picked out his clothing for the evening.

It's not that Ron didn't want to get married. Far from it. He loved Hermione. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He wanted to raise little bushy, red-haired, bookish, Quidditch playing children with her. He wanted to send his daughters off to Hogwarts with Hermione and know that they would be tops in everything. He wanted to send his sons off to Hogwarts and know that they would be able to catch a quaffle while flying top speed through the air. Or the other way around, depending on the kid, of course. But mostly, he wanted to hold Hermione in his arms each evening and know that she was his and no one else's.

With that thought in mind, Ron buttoned the top button on his nicest shirt and tucked in the shirt tails into his pants. Even though they weren't ready to be married for a while, there was no reason they shouldn't be committed to each other, right? After all, they were both 20, Hermione would be 21 in a few months. They didn't have to get married for a few years, but still, Ron had the ring already.

After putting on his shoes, he teleported to the spot he had already picked out just for them…

Hermione gave up on her hair years ago, which was probably the best thing she could have done. Letting it grow out caused more curl, as did taming it back again. Her light blue dress was simply cut, ending slightly below her knee. She looked again at the pregnancy test on the counter, feeling a sense of dread. Neither of them had looked at the results since the test had, umm, matured. Ron had dashed back out of his room with a portkey, telling her it would leave at exactly 6:04 and to dress nice and tell him the results when she got there.

Well, she had complied and now sat at 6:01 on a stool across the room from the test, biting her thumb, contemplating her options. Finally she made up her mind and stood.

At 6:02, she grabbed her things she would need for the evening and crossed the room to the test.

At 6:03, she looked at the bar, saw the color and bit her lip, unsure of how to react. Then, she put the test in her bag and looked at the portkey her boyfriend had charmed.

At 6:04, Hermione left her apartment and landed daintily on the ground on the coast of some green piece of land. The sun was beginning to sink, causing the marvelous golden shimmer over every visible surface. Hermione smiled shakily at Ron, who stood by a small table and two chairs overlade with food. Ron came forward and led Hermione to the table, acting chivalrous and pulling her chair out for her. After a few minutes of awkward silence in which they served themselves, Hermione broke it.

"Ok, let's get right to it, shall we?"

Ron sighed and nodded. "What did it say?" he asked.

"Ron, I'm not pregnant."

Ron sighed again and slumped back into his chair, talking. "Oh thank Merlin! Hermione, we definitely couldn't have handled a kid! It's such a good thing that, wait why are you crying, love?"

Hermione had tears running down her cheeks as her shoulders shook softly. Ron was up in an instant, bounding over to where she sat and took her into his arms. She spoke after a few minutes of calming down.

"I'm sorry," she began, "it's just, I feel kind of sad that I couldn't have your child, Ron. I already loved it so much that when I realized it didn't exist, it physically hurt. Can you understand that?"

Ron took Hermione's hands in his own, realizing he was already down on one knee, but she didn't yet.

"Of course I understand, 'Mione. I love you and I can picture our kids flying around on broomsticks and going off to Hogwarts and playing with all the cousins they are bound to have. I can see you holding our son or daughter every night, rocking them to sleep with a book in your hand. I want to see that someday, Hermione. That's why," at this point, Ron took out the ring from his pocket. Hermione gasped and clasped both hands over her mouth, eyes shining.

"I want to ask you to marry me?"

Ron looked hopeful as Hermione looked back and forth between him and the ring. When she didn't answer right away, his hope began to wan, but he didn't know that she was already planning the wedding in her head.

"Ronald Weasley, of course I'll marry you."

**A/N: Ok, so here's my dilema. After Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione's life is basically planned out. They get married and have two kids. Of course, I could always write something differing from all my memory loss stories. A new one. I have ideas. Please review and don't hate for not posting in forever, cuz it feels like forever to me too!**


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